Trout-a-Rama reels in family fun!
by: Cathy Vaughan
[Reprinted with permission from Chebucto News, July 2024]
The McNamara Trout-a-Rama has just resurfaced. The two-year Covid-lockdown and the recent wildfire closure of forests and parks shut down this popular family fishing derby in Spryfield. The Halifax Wildlife Association (HWA) revived the sport fishing event at the beginning of June on Cunard Pond on Williams Lake. Families with kids, folks from surrounding neighbourhoods and enthusiastic groups of fishing buddies arrived early, eager to register, hook their free worms, and start casting.
The revival of this family recreational event coincided with the first of June, considered a “Fish for Free” day as fishers are not required to have a Nova Scotia Fishing Licence to throw their lines into local fishing holes. They are still required to fish responsibility and support the HWA’s environmental and sustainability guidelines.
The HWA was established in 1853 and is one of the oldest wildlife organizations of its kind in North America. Through this type of family out-door event the HWA promotes conservation and protection of the environment, healthy outdoor lifestyles and the recreational fun of sport fishing for youth. Experienced volunteers focus on youth to ensure the future of a sustainable environment by teaching and modelling ecological principals of conservation.
HWA led a successful and innovative educational program to decrease the toxic effect on waterways of lead in fishing tackle. They also partnered with the government program “Field to Fork” and took interested young folks hunting and fishing to teach them skills and safety standards. HWA works with government departments to advocate for practical legislation and sound regulations for the sport to be sustainable.
HRM’s Cunard Pond and Williams Lake in Spryfield are considered recreational lakes by NS Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture and are stocked each spring and fall by the McGowan Lake Fish Hatchery. At the end of May, while releasing speckled trout into Williams Lake, supervisor of the fish hatchery, Marielle Turner said, “We are stocking lakes for 10 different fishing derbies for this weekend. The public demand is huge.” Turner released about 300 ‘catch and eat’ sized speckled trout into Cunard Pond for the derby and more trout into Williams Lake from the community entrance at Pine Bluff Islands Park on Wyndrock Dr.
The president of the Halifax Wildlife Association, Robert Blom, was appreciative of having Cunard Pond stocked with speckled trout for the derby. “We’ve been extremely lucky to have the event here. The level of the lake water has been a challenge over the years because the Williams Lake dam has not been repaired. However, the Williams Lake Conservation Company is hopeful that the Public Works Minister will follow up on her commitment to fix the dam. This will secure the level of lake water required to put on these events into the future.”
A bit of tackle and a whole lot of fun to get hooked on this sport. It’s not just about the fish you catch, it’s about the memories you reel in!